Railway signal torpedo



F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN-7, 1921. 1,414,264.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.-

srares Par FRANK BUTCHER, 0F VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNon To CENTRAL Refr- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, or rI'rTs UneH, PENNSYL AN A, A COB-POBATIQN. on

NEW JERSEY. v

. I RAILWAY SIGNAL" ron rnno.

To all whom it may concemi I 7 Be it known that I, FRANK Drrronnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, provided with railengaging members for fastening the torpedo to the rail head of a track.

The invention comprises" a torpedo explosive charge wrapped in sheet fibre, ,or the like, and a rail-engaging memberor strap which is fastened securely to the fibre wrap- P a. i The. object of my invention is to provide .a torpedo of the railway explosive type,

V which is simple and cheapof manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to construct a torpedo of the explosive type in which the charge containing caseis'composed of paper or fibrous material wrapped around the charge and which will, to. a 1 I preferably of a-length. to] overlap, as shown at 8, are then folded inward upon the case Figure 1 is a perspective view of a'tore pedo embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a torpedo having the embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a torpedo embodying my invention, the parts being shown in extended positions before being assembled.

Referring now to the drawings in which like parts aredesignated by similar ref- Asclearly shown in Fig.4, the explosive s wrapped with n the sheet which encircles 1t with several folds, as shown at 3, cand has oppositely extending portions 4 and-4;

The preferable form of rail-engaging member 1s a lead strap. 5,"butit.will-, be readlly understood that I donot limit myself to this particular means of trackfas. tener, as l1ght spring metal or its equiva- .lents,. su1tablepliable material, or the like canbe readily adapted to this use.

Openings 6 are provided in the extending .portions 4 and 4 of the case to receive the ra1l strap 5 ,fwhich is threaded therethrough, as shown in Flg. 4', while these portions are in theirextended positions, I

That portion of the strap'5 between the extended portions ofv the caseis pnshed-down in position.

7 l .Specification of Letters Patent. I 'Patten ted A131. 25, Application-filed January 7; 192 seriei e; 435345.; I

against the main case 2 and. a fastening sheet i The extended areas 4 we 4', wh iehei e f 2 and the strap and its fastening and suitart that the track-engaging member must be fastened securely to the torpedo so that when,

it is placed on a rail-head it will notbe dislodged from the rail or separated from its to those skilled in the rail-fastening when struck by a train wheel.

To further strengthen the-fastening of the rail-engaging member -5 to the torpedo,

a sealing wrapping 9, preferably oftwofolds or thicknesses, is wrapped around the torpedo case after the same. has bee'n folded as described. V

Ifdesired the completed torpedo may be given a water-proofingbath to ;assure that dampness will not penetrate the case to the explosive charge andprevent its explosion when struck. V

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, each of the extending wrapped portions 4 and 4 1s provided with openings 6 throughwhieh the rail-engaging member i5 threaded. Having thusdescribed'my invention, what I claim and. desire to secure by Letters Patentyiszi 1. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive and a case therefor havinginwardly folded extended portions, a rail engaging member passing longitudinally through one'of said folded portions, and the extended portions adapted to overlap one upon the other so that the endof each lies adjacent the openings through the other. 7

2. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive and a case therefor, the ease composed of a plurality of wraps of fibrous material having inwardly foldedeXtended portions, and a rail-engaging member passing longitudinally through the several wraps of the extended inwardly folded portions,

- for thejpurpose described.

3. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive and a'case therefor having inwardly folded extended portions, a railmember passing through and beneath said folded extended portions, and a fastening portions.

'5. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive and a casing therefor having folded extended portions,-i a grail-engaging member passing through and beneath said folded portions, a fastening for the'rail-engaging member beneath said folded-portions,

.and a wrapping embracing, the said fold ed portions.

g 6. Atorpedo comprising-an explosive ha'ving a casing wrapped thereupon, the casing provided with extended wrapped portions adapted to be folded-inward, a rail-engaging memberthreadedlongitudinally through suitable openings in the extended portions intermediate their ends, and the extended portionsfolded inward and overlappingone another for the purpose'described. 1

7. A railroadsignal torpedo comprising an explosive "and a casing therefor having folded extended POItlOIlS, a rail-engaging member passing throughand-beneath on of said folded portions, and a fiastening bev neath one ofsaid folded portions,

8. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive and a casing'therefor:having folded extended portions, a --rail-engaging member passing through said ffoldedextended ortions intermediatetheir'ends and .a fastening member for-the rail-engaging member beneath the folded portions.

9. A railway signal torpedo, comprising an explosive and a casing therefor having folded extended portions, a lad-engaging member passing through and beneath said folded portions, a fastening forf the rail "engagingmember beneath said folded portlons, and a wrapping transversethe folded portions and embracing them; for the rail member beneath thesaid folded FRANK nuronna 

